SoFi Stadium to host matches during 2026 World Cup

SoFi Stadium in Inglewood was chosen among a total of 10 stadiums to hold games during the 2026 World Cup in North America, FIFA announced Thursday.

Matches during the FIFA World Cup in 2026 are set to be held in the US, Mexico and Canada — 11 matches will be in the U.S., three in Mexico, and two will be in Canada. Los Angeles hosted matches during the 1994 World Cup.  and the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

As part of the effort to be selected to host games, the Los Angeles World Cup Host Committee led FIFA officials on tours of the Rose Bowl Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park in November.

The host committee’s effort was led by the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, which includes the Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Rose Bowl Stadium, Los Angeles Football Club and L.A. Galaxy.

SoFi Stadium — which is home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers — officially opened on Sept. 13, 2020. It is the most expensive stadium ever built, at an estimated cost of about $5.5 billion. It was built on the site of the former Hollywood Park racetrack and sits adjacent to the Forum.

Though still debated, it’s likely that either Los Angeles or Mexico City will host the “main” opening match, as both cities have hosted World Cup finals in the past. This will be the first time that the tournament will include 48 teams, instead of the current 32-team format, as well as it being the first time the tournament is staged across three host nations.

While Cinncinati, Denver and Baltimore were among those not chosen in the U.S., the other cities to host matches are:

• Vancouver
• Seattle
• San Francisco
• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Kansas City
• Dallas
• Atlanta
• Houston
• Monterrey, Mexico
• Mexico City
• Toronto
• Boston
• Philadelphia
• Miami
• New York/New Jersey

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